Tristan and I have been together for almost 10 years this year. We meet in Milwaukee while both attending UWM. We both graduated at the high of the recession seven years ago and frustrated with the lack of a job market, decided to start businesses in Milwaukee instead. Tristan was born in Charleston and I was born in Chicago. We both had very different childhoods, mine in the suburbs and Tristan seven years on a boat with his parents. However, we both wanted to bring what we loved to Milwaukee, our sense of adventure and love of cycling.
Our dreams are to create a successful business that is needed by the community around us and yet is flexible to change with what the community needs. We started Coast In Bikes to provide both of a livelihood we love and would like to do that for ourselves and employees.
I want to see Coast In Bikes support women's cycling in developing Ladies Revolution- a nonprofit that teaches women bike mechanics, offers rides and classes to support the current and new women's cycling community. Tristan would like to see more mountain biking on the east side of Milwaukee and more people supporting out local trails.
As we grow, we envision opening a hostel in Milwaukee that supports adventure cyclists as they cycle through Milwaukee that works with the bike shop in providing a much needed resource that our current tourism services don't offer in Milwaukee.
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Choose a borrower
Browse categories of borrowers— people looking to grow businesses, go to school, switch to clean energy, and more.
Make a loan
Select a borrower who you connect with and help fund a loan with as little as $25.
Get repaid
Receive updates on your loans and see the dollars return to your Kiva account.
Repeat!
Use the repayment to support another borrower, or withdraw your money.
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Funded
A loan helped a loan of $10,000 helps install lighting and outlets in our new location, install outside signage, update store displays and install a bike shower in the shop.
Carolyn's story
This loan is special because:
More about this loan
Business Description
We opened Coast In Bikes in April 2013 in the old Bucketworks building on 5th Street in Walkers Point. Tristan and Carolyn, the two owners opened Coast In Bikes with the intentional of locating a bike shop in the middle of the the city- where there has not been a bike shop despite being in the nexus of the three major bike trails. One of our biggest challenges has been finding a location with enough storage, mechanic area that is large enough for classes and a sales floor and entrance that can accomodate cargo bikes. December 2016, we moved into our new location at 838 S. 1st Street. While we love our new location and space which was built in 1870's, we had to complete three build out in less then four years- financially stretching ourselves thin. Our future goals for our business is to become an Industry leader in our niches we've built up at Coast In Bike such as mountain biking, cargo bikes and community classes. In addition, grow the business to support new businesses we want to start and nonprofits such as Ladies Revolution. Last, we want to be able to support two full time employees and a few seasonal employees in the area. We've been proud of seeing our customers form lifelong friendships from our annual bike camping trips and community events and encouraging people and families in Milwaukee to become year round commuters. We've been successful in developing community partnership such as working Educators Credit Union for cargo bike loans, Boys & Girls Club Mary Ryan Program and working with multiple businesses for Winter Bike Bingo. Tristan and I are the two owners and Hassan is our full-time employee.
What is the purpose of this loan?
We opened Coast In Bikes in the emerging Walkers Point Neighborhood four years ago. We've moved three times within the neighborhood since April 2013 due to the changing nature of the neighborhood and needing more space for our bike shop for sales, storage and mechanic area. We've grown 150% our second year and 100% our third year and already are where our sales were last year despite a new location. About half of the customers in the store are new customers since we've moved. While sales are strong, we need additional funds to build out the space. We did the minimum when we moved in to be functional this season but going into winter we are getting the space ready for the winter and next spring season in regards to lighting, outlets, bike shower, mechanic area and signage. We intend to use this Kiva loan to install $3,000 of lighting for our sales and mechanic area, $1,000 for tools and new work benches for classes and DIY Nights, $1,000 for new store displays and fixtures, $1,000 for a bike shower and $4,000 for outside signage. These funds will help Coast In Bikes three ways. One- provide the additional support needed for classes and winter bike cleaning to bring customers in during the winter months. Two- increase our lighting so customers can see the product int the store and mechanic area. Three- increase our presence on 1st street traffic with signage. We are aiming to increase our sales by 5% from 2017 sales with these improvements.
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Field Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Field Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Field Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Field Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Field Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Field Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Field Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Field Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Field Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
What is a risk rating?
The Field Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Field Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Field Partner section of every loan. Field Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Field Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Field Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Field Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Field Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Field Partners often work with borrowers over time to help them build credit and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow some partners the ability to relist a loan without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information. When this occurs, you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from an earlier loan.
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Field Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
About Coast In Bikes
Lenders and lending teams
Country: United States
Trustee: Bublr Bikes
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
Loan details
Loan length:
Repayment schedule
Monthly: One repayment made per month
End of term: One repayment made at the end of the loan term
Irregular: Any other repayment schedule
To see a detailed repayment schedule for a specific loan, click the "Repayment schedule" link on the loan profile under "Loan details."
What is the disbursed date?
In the case of partner loans, many of our Field Partners choose to disburse loan funds before the loan request is posted on Kiva. We allow pre-disbursal because it ensures that the funds reach the borrower as soon as they are needed. Loan funds from Kiva lenders then go to backfill that amount and as a lender you assume the risk of the loan. By doing this, our Field Partners assume the risk that, if the loan isn't funded by lenders, they will have to fund the loan without any funds from Kiva.
If a partner loan is not pre-disbursed, it will be listed on Kiva with an expected "post-disbursed" date. If a post-disbursed loan is not funded on Kiva, there is a chance that the borrower may not receive their loan. Some Field Partners choose to disburse loans with other sources of funding, while other partners don't have the resources available to fund loans without Kiva lenders' support. No direct loans will be disbursed unless they fully fundraise on Kiva.
Funding model
What does "Partner covers currency loss" mean & how could it affect my Kiva loans?
Potential for currency exchange loss is noted on every loan profile under the loan details:
"Yes" means the Field Partner will cover any currency loss. Lenders will not bear losses due to currency fluctuation
"Partial" means that the Field Partner has opted to cover losses only up to 10%. If the U.S. dollar appreciates more than 10% against the local currency, those losses will be passed onto lenders.
"No" means that the Field Partner is not covering any currency losses and all losses will be passed onto lenders.
"N/A" means the Field Partner disburses loans to borrowers in USD so their loans are not subject to any currency fluctuation.
Do Kiva borrowers pay any interest on their loans?
Our partners collect interest from borrowers because there are many operational expenses associated with microfinance in developing markets, especially in rural areas. Many of Kiva's Field Partners also provide additional services alongside their loan products such as business training, financial literacy lessons, or health services.
Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges unreasonable interest rates, and we require Field Partners to fully disclose their rates. In addition, we only partner with microfinance institutions and organizations that have a social mission to serve the poor, unbanked, and underserved.
There are some 0% interest loans on Kiva, including all direct loans in the United States. To learn more about the interest rates Kiva borrowers pay, you can review the "Average cost to borrower" field on a loan profile.
What is a risk rating?
The Field Partner risk rating reflects the risk of institutional default associated with each of Kiva’s Field Partners. A 0.5-star rating means the organization has a relatively higher risk of institutional default, while a 5-star rating indicates the organization is at a relatively lower risk of default, based on Kiva's analysis and the available information displayed in the Field Partner section of every loan. Field Partners with the lowest credit tier undergo a lighter level of due diligence and do not receive a risk rating; instead, in places where a risk rating would normally appear, these partners are labeled as “Experimental.” For more information, see "What is an Experimental Field Partner?"
Direct loans also do not receive a formal risk rating. Instead, these loans are approved through “social underwriting”, where trustworthiness is determined by friends & family lending a portion of the loan request, or by a Kiva approved Trustee vouching for the borrower. Direct loans will appear as "Unrated" and lenders should always assume these loans represent the highest level of repayment risk on Kiva.
How are loans facilitated?
Kiva loans are facilitated through 2 models, partner and direct, that enable us to reach the greatest number of people around the world.
For partner loans, borrowers apply to a local Field Partner, which manages the loan on the ground. Field Partners are responsible for screening borrowers, disbursing loans, posting borrowers to the Kiva website for funding, collecting repayments and otherwise administering Kiva loans on the ground to borrowers.
For direct loans, borrowers apply through the Kiva website and may or may not be endorsed by a Trustee. Unlike Field Partners, Trustees don't handle any financial transactions or have any duty to repay loans on behalf of their borrowers. Instead, Trustees take the role of providing support and business advice to their borrowers throughout the term of the loan.
More information about successive and concurrent loans
Field Partners often work with borrowers over time to help them build credit and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow some partners the ability to relist a loan without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information. When this occurs, you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from an earlier loan.
Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Field Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These additional loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. We trust our partners to determine whether a borrower has the means to be able to repay a successive or concurrent loan.
Trustee: Bublr Bikes
What are Trustee tiers?
For for more information about Trustee tiers, visit: kivaushub.org/trustee-tiers
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